


Alternate Universe

by Spazzo47



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-06 07:51:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13406760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzo47/pseuds/Spazzo47
Summary: For LilacMermaid's January Fan Fiction Challenge -- Time TravelNeal (of course) gets a lead on a Back the Future-esque time machine and pitches it as a story while Will and Mac are fighting about the string of women meeting him after the show.  When Maggie is assigned to help with the story, the two attempt to put right what once went wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**June 15, 2010**

Neal looked around the newsroom and walked towards Maggie’s desk carrying a stack of paper with him. Before he tapped on her desk, a habit he developed because he thought it seemed polite, Maggie spun in her seat and said, “Hold it, Dork Boy, are you just here for a closer seat to today’s Will and Mac fight?”

“Oh, are they fighting? I hadn’t noticed, I just brought these –“

Before Neal could finish the sentence, Mac flung Will’s office door back open and yelled, “You’re so in love with yourself that I don’t know why you think you need a second person!”

She slammed his door and stomped back to her office. Everyone in the office looked at Will’s door. Will stepped out of it to yell a retort, but heard her door slam before he could say anything. He looked around, seeing that everyone’s focus moved to her door, and slammed his door.  

Neal looked at Maggie and said, “Ok, well, I guess you’re busy so I’ll just take these papers and go back to my desk."

Maggie got a quick look at Neal’s “important papers” and looked at him with her mouth open. “They’re blank! Did you just stop by the copier so you could have a reason to watch? You’re a, you’re a... watcher. That’s what you are!”

“I think the word want voyeur. And, they’re kind of hard to miss.”

Maggie had to think about it for a second, then said, “I guess so, but, next time, find someone else’s desk. I won’t be your enabler.”

As Neal walked away as Jim approached Maggie’s desk. “What won’t you enable him to do?”

“UGH! Men!” Maggie looked at the clock on her computer. “Isn’t it time for a rundown meeting?”

Maggie stomped away, leaving Jim to wonder what he or his gender did. Jim delicately tapped on Mac’s door before poking his head in. “Uh, Mac, time for the rundown.”

She looked up from her computer and said, “Yes, I know what time it is. Has the horn dog stopped dating long enough to meet us down there?” Jim shrugged his shoulders and awkwardly made a noise while shaking his head. He really would rather be anywhere else right now. “Well, go on, go get him.”

Jim left her office and knocked on Will’s door. He poked his head in. “Will, uh, rundown.”

“Did Mac send you? She thinks I don’t know where I need to be?” Will stood up and started around his desk. “I don’t need her permission… or her direction.”

Jim didn’t know what to say, so as Will rounded his door to get to the hall, Jim said under his breath, “Well, she is the executive producer, so you have to take some direction –“

“What was that Scout? Are you taking her side?”

“No, not me, I’m not taking any sides at all.” Jim felt a wave of relief when they entered the conference room and he could get as far from Will as possible.

“Oh, look. Will made it without some leggy blonde.”

“And I’m glad to see you without your ex-boyfriend. Can we start this meeting?”

“Of course, I’m sure you have more important people, er, things to do.” Mac shot him a look that made a few people around the table shiver. Mac went through the stories that she had and announced that they had time for one more 2-minute segment at the end of the show and asked for suggestions. When no one said anything, Maggie decided to fill the space by saying, “Neal came to my desk with a question. Was that for a story?”

Everyone around the table, except Will and Mac, laughed. “Well, that wasn’t, but if you’re really looking for something, there’s a guy outside of DC who thinks he figured out how to break the time/space continuum.”

Gary smiled, “Oh, please tell me a DeLorean is involved.”

“It’s not a DeLorean. It’s a Porsche 911 Turbo.” He heard everyone laughing. “I didn’t say I believe it. I just said that he thinks he has. And I thought it might be fun to talk to him and, I don’t know, maybe get a scientist to talk about his theory. We can wrap it up by saying we’re still a long way from time travel, but I don’t know maybe someday.”

Neal looked at Will who rolled his eyes and then he looked at Mac who looked at Will like she was pissed. “Who wants to work on the Porsche story with Neal.”

Will spat out, “You gotta be kidding me!”

“And if you get to take a spin in the car, try to go back to April 29, 2006.”

“And what the fuck happened on April 29, 2006?”

“The Correspondents Dinner. I want to tell myself to just give up on an idiot like you.”

“That’s not how I remember it, hun!”

Mac gave him a sideways look. “You don’t have any memory of that week do you?”

“Please, why don’t you remind me?”

“That’s enough, who’s working with Neal.” When everyone sat silent, too scared to answer, Mac said, “Maggie you’re on this since you volunteered him. Everyone go do your work.”

The team took off as fast as they could, leaving Will and Mac in the conference room. Mac walked to Will. “You really think you were that innocent?”

“Since you were the one that cheated, then yes, I really do.”

“Think about that week, or… don’t. I don’t give a fuck. But on May 4, you pushed just a little too far.”

Will tried to remember what she meant, when he couldn’t, he followed her out, “May 4? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“That voicemail you left on your way to Nebraska?”

“That?  That was cute and clever.”  Will actually didn't remember the message she referred to, but assumed that he left a cute or clever message.

Mac turned around on him in shock. “It was boorish and obnoxious and… Things would be different if it didn’t happen.” Mac turned around again and found Neal waiting for her. “What do you need, Neal?”

All of a sudden, Neal didn’t think getting clarification on whether or not to pursue the story was necessary.

*** **** **** ****

**June 17, 2010**

Maggie and Neal arrived at the home of Alden Andersson, Neal wondered if she had taken a breath since they got in the car 5 hours ago for this interview. “I mean, this isn’t the type of thing Mac usually wants us to do. It’s not really news. How did you convince her?” Before Neal could respond, Maggie continued. “I mean, I know how I would have approached it, but I don’t think it would have worked.”

“I didn’t talk to her, she and Will were fighting so I did some more research and rented a car.” Maggie looked shocked, like she’s never even considered something so dishonest.   “Maggie, look, this is my dream, being able to tell a story, any story, it’s why I left England and came here. I want to do a story and this is a chance to do one. Please, Maggie. Help me.”

Maggie could never say no to anyone about anything, but she especially couldn’t deny someone their dream, so she nodded her head and Neal parked the car. The two stood nervously at Alden’s door until Maggie finally knocked on it. When Alden opened the door, it was like a scene from a sci-fi movie, the perfect image of a mad scientist's lab complete with dry ice wafting in the air. Alden stood in front of them with a lab coat and safety goggles on. “Neal and Maggie?” The two nodded their heads a little stunned at the scene. “Enter.”

Maggie and Neal took their equipment and walked into the house. They couldn’t explain what they saw. Alden took them to a white board where he explained his time travel theory in a way that went over their heads, reducing them to head nods and affirmative sounds noises. Maggie set up the equipment while Alden took Neal out to show him the car. Neal used his expertise as the son of an auto mechanic to look at the alterations Alden made on the Porsche. Maggie filmed Neal showing some specific changes and then they entered, feeling a little excited. Neither believed that Alden had actually discovered the secret to time travel, but they both enjoyed thinking about the possibility.  Alden asked when they want to go and without thinking, Maggie said, “April 29, 2006.” Neal shot her a look. “Oh, tell me that you’re not the least bit curious.”

Neal gave her smug look, “I did want to do something important like stop the September 11 attack, but if you insist on dreaming small, Mac said it happened on May 4.”

“You mean, you think that’s the day,” Maggie’s eyes got wide and she reached over to plug the new date in. “We can stop it and see what they’d be like if she didn’t cheat on him.”

Neal shook his head while Alden showed them how to turn on his version of a flux capacitor. He knew people would draw a comparison to the movie, so he thought he’d play along. He then explained that _Back to the Future_ didn’t have it completely wrong. Time travel requires a terminal velocity. He set it at 88 MPH because, well, why the fuck not make it even more memorable. If nothing else the nostalgia would make it even more fun.

Neal asked if Alden thought time travel would mess up the world as we know it. Alden said that once the secret of time travel gets out, everyone will find a way to go back and fix their biggest regrets. The technology will work in any car and give everyone an equal chance to go back and undo their biggest mistakes. Maggie asked, “But when one person makes a change, won’t that change everyone they touch?”

“It’ll give us, the people who live now the chance to change their future. If I want to fix the environment, I just have to send someone back to make laws earlier and then the people who don’t know anything about it will get to live in cleaner world. If you want to forget about an ex that hurt you, go back and just don’t meet that person, he or she will never know and neither will you once you get back. You want a second chance at a job that you didn’t get, it’s yours. This will let people fix their mistakes, everybody’s life will change, but can you imagine a world where rapists don’t meet their victims or mass murderers get delayed before they can kill? A new reality will be better.”

Neal thought about it. “Or a new reality will just be different.”

Alden continued. “This date you put in, what’s significant about that date.”

Maggie answered quickly. “Our bosses were in love then, but something happened that ruined their relationship. We think this is the day she started a torrid affair with an ex that ultimately broke his heart.”

Neal added, “and made him the most miserable SOB you’ve ever met.” Maggie smacked him in the stomach and Neal flinched while saying, “that hurt”.

“So you want to go back and fix that mistake. Good. That’s pretty localized. But a word of caution. I believe in fate. I think that the things that are meant to happen, will. So you may come back and find out that they still broke up for another reason or maybe down the road they will have gotten back together without your interference.  Or, maybe you won't have any impact on them because you can't make a person do something.”

Maggie asked, “Should we make a recording of what our life is like now so when we come back we’ll know?”

Alden said, “That’s your choice. I have remembered my trips, but I’ve just gone as an observer, I don’t know what happens when you change your own timeline in a significant way.”

The journalists looked at each other. Neal said, “Might as well.”

Maggie stood in front of the camera and Neal nodded at her to start. “Good afternoon, today is June 17, 2010. I’m standing in the garage of Dr. Alden Andersson, with two s’s, and his time machine. Neal and I plan to go back to 2006 and try to stop Mac from sleeping with her ex-boyfriend and breaking Will’s heart.”

“Do you really want to say that for all of posterity?”

“We can edit it later.” Maggie watched Neal shake his head. “We want to do this because Will and Mac are yelling at each other and it’s totally obvious they’re still in love.” Alden and Neal both rolled their eyes at the same time.

Neal walked out from behind the camera. “OK, got it. Let’s roll.”

Neal and Maggie got into the car and Alden gave them a few notes about how the car handles. Maggie drove so that Neal could continue filming. They pulled out of the driveway and took off down the dirt road outside his house. When they hit 88, they saw something like a big circle appear in front of them and they went through a tunnel with images they could only guess were different places in time and space. They came out the other end and continued driving. On the other end of the portal was the same dirt road, it looked like nothing had changed, not even the weather.


	2. Chapter 2

**May 4, 2006**

Maggie turned to Neal, “Do you think this takes special fuel?”

“No, it’s still a Porsche. He made this pretty easy for us. Do you think it’s really 2006?”

“I don’t know. I can go look at a newspaper.” Neal gave her a disbelieving look. “That’s what they do on TV. It’s a quick way to find out the date.” As Neal rolled his eyes, Maggie pulled into a gas station. Neal filled the car with gas while Maggie went into the store to get some snacks. When she returned, Neal was a little upset that she got yogurt and granola bars, but was fascinated to hear that she confirmed they had traveled back in time.

Maggie asked, “OK, so where do you think they are?”

Neal pulled out his phone and looked up Will. He was a little surprised that it gave the current time and date of 11:00 AM on May 4, 2006. His phone even looked up Will on the internet and he learned that Will co-anchored a show for CNN called _Just the Facts_ with someone named Preston Tippen. Maggie looked over Neal’s shoulder, excited. She used to love watching Preston and then she realized that his co-anchor must have been Will. She went on and on about how Will always seemed so grumpy, but he covered the news, while Preston was fun. Then all of a sudden, Preston was gone and there was real news on the show. She wrote a paper and used them as an example of changing your branding.

Neal couldn’t stand it anymore. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Will’s show.”

Neal re-centered himself and said, “Okay. This says Will’s show is taped in the Time Warner building in New York. That’s where we’ll find Will and Mac. If he’s doing his show tonight, he’ll be off the air at 11. So we need to get to New York now and figure out how talk to them.”

“Wait, are we sure that Mac was his EP? I mean we know they worked together, but do we know that it was during their entire relationship?”

Neal looked up Mac and, while it took a little more time, he found out that she was producing _Crossfire_ whose studio was in DC. Maggie said, “Ok, so we need to split up and follow them. Find out what happened and then fix it. You go to New York and find Will. I’ll stay here and follow Mac. Do you think our Blackberries will work?” Neal assumed that if it could get on the internet, it would be able to make a phone call, but he tried calling her and they both heard her phone ring. “Good, get going, and stay under 88.”

Maggie navigated public transportation to get to the _Crossfire_ studio. She acted like a clueless tourist and found her way to the lunchroom where she found Mac grabbing a quick bite. “Mac, Mac.” Maggie waved at her like they were good friends. Mac turned around and looked at her, not recognizing her.

“I’m in J-School and I saw you at that talk you gave a few weeks ago.”

“Columbia?”

Maggie exaggeratingly nodded her head. “Yep. I really like your take on what makes something newsworthy and I was wondering if you have a few minutes to talk to me about that.”

Mac smiled. She would always find time to help mentor the next generation. And this particular day she didn’t have a lot to do. “You’re in luck. Usually I don’t even have time to come down here, but I’m training a new senior editor this week and letting her run things. I can give you a tour of the studio and answer any questions you have.”

Maggie played the most excited person to ever be excited about anything, “Really? Oh My God! That would be the coolest thing ever!”

Mac showed Maggie around and introduced her to several people in the newsroom, Maggie geeking out every time she saw something new. Mac brought her back to her office and said she was crazy about Maggie’s enthusiasm and asked if she had to do an internship soon. Maggie acted like it was the greatest offer she ever had and asked if she could stay for the show. Mac agreed and brought her to the control room to hang out. She said it would be a long wait, but the guys in control could keep her entertained. Maggie quickly made friends with a Spanish sound guy named Raul. He told Maggie about going to the Correspondent’s Dinner with Mac, Will and Will’s sister Peggy last week. He told her that he officially went as Mac’s date since Will took his sister, but everyone there knew Mac went with Will. Maggie wondered what could have happened between Saturday and tonight.  

** ** ** ** **

Neal finally arrived in New York and made it to the Time Warner Building. News buildings have security that will make it hard to get into the office area, but there’s always vulnerability. A guard who isn’t paying attention or an elevator that you can get into when you blend in with everyone else. Neal thought he could find one of those, but the employee entrance required a badge and the guard was pretty observant. When he knew he couldn’t get in by following someone, he went to the guard and said he had an appointment with Will. He assumed that if Will hadn’t changed much in 4 years, Will would assume he made an appointment and forgot about it. Neal was trying to think of why he would meet with Will, when the guard told him that Will wasn’t in his office. His assistant said that he’s going out of town tonight and would like to reschedule for sometime next week. Neal said he would have his people talk to Will’s people and they’ll connect later. Neal went to a coffee house down the street to think about his next move. He tried to find out where Will was going and when he’d leave. He looked at flights leaving right after his show and found one going to Lincoln, Nebraska. Neal decided to meet Will at the airport bar before that flight. He started looking up TV plots that would give him guidance about how to get Will to open up to him.

*** *** *** ***

While Will’s show, _Just the Facts_ aired, Maggie walked to Mac’s office and knocked on her door before letting herself in.

“Hey Mac!” Maggie saw Mac’s puffy face and red eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

“I, uh, thought maybe you wanted to watch Will’s, uh, _Just the Facts._ And so I, um.” Mac always had an open door policy with her staff and Maggie forgot that from Mac’s perspective that didn’t include Maggie.

“It’s fine, Maggie. It’s fine. I guess you heard that Will and I are… something.” Will and Mac had their first date in October and now in May, he’s unwilling to even say he’s dating her. “It’s complicated.”

“It always is, isn’t it?”

“Not always.” Mac thought about her relationship with Brian. What it lacked in passion, it made up for in consistency. She could count on Brian to come home at the same time every night. They would have the same conversations. They would watch the same shows. And then they would go to bed. Even sex was mechanical and routine. But at least she knew where she stood. He would tell her he loved her, even if it felt more like muscle memory than an actual emotion.

“Mac, if you need to talk, I’m a pretty good listener. And I know Will.”

“You what?”

Maggie panicked. “I mean people like Will. I mean, Mr. McAvoy. At least what I imagine he’s like.”

“You imagine what my boyfriend is like?”

“Well you just said he’s not.”

Mac was beside herself. “This is awfully personal. Are you some sort of news groupie?”

“No, no, Mac. I’m not. I just… He’s only angry because he’s so in love with you. Or, he will be. I mean, he probably is but, I…Let me start again.”

Mac looked at the young woman and said, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I don’t know?”

“I think that it’s time you leave. I hope you enjoyed you time here, but if you don’t leave my office right now, I’m going to ask security to escort you out.”

Maggie nodded her head and started to walk out. “I’ll go, but, Mac, don’t give up on him.”

Mac watched as Maggie left. Mac looked at the TV in her office and saw Will’s face. They’ve been avoiding each other for days, in part because she may have accidentally broke up with him. He hasn’t returned her calls at all today. All she wants to do is go out and get lit, but she can’t do that until after her show. She can try to call him again after his show. Try again to wish him luck in Nebraska and tell him she’s proud of him for going. She could, but it seems hopeless.

Maggie left the Time Warner Building and called Neal to tell him that Mac kicked her out.

“What do you mean she kicked you out? She would never do that!”

“She didn’t know who I was and I probably sounded like a crazy person when I told her I knew her and Will.”

Neal couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You told her you know her!? That’s the first rule of time travel. Never tell people you know that you know them. And avoid yourself at all costs. Except Hermione in _Prisoner of Azkaban_ she may have been able to do it because she already knew she was time traveling.”

“I don’t watch all your _Star Wars_ and stuff.”

“ _Star Trek. Star Trek_ has all the time paradoxes… and The Prime Directive.”

“You know you’re not on the phone with Jim. He’d understand all your nerd boy gibberish.” Maggie thought for a second. “I’ll try to catch Mac after her show. The control room guys told me where they usually go for drinks. But if she kicks me out, it’s up to you.”

Neal got nervous and said, “I know. But, we do have a time machine, so if we mess this up, we can always try again.”

“Bored already. And you have 15 minutes before Will’s show ends.”

“I’m already in place.”

“Good luck, Neal.”

“Thanks.”

~~~~~

Neal watched the clock and prayed that he didn’t choose the wrong flight. Nebraska isn’t a popular destination, but there are flights to Lincoln all night and in the morning. He was about to page Will and then follow him, when Will sat down at the bar, looking at his phone. Neal sat a couple seats away from Will and signaled for a drink. He looked at Will and did a double take then walked over to him and said, “Hey, aren’t you?”

Will rolled his eyes and exhaled loudly. He just wanted this trip to be over and then he can come home and spend a week with Mac and tell her everything he should have... a long time ago. He didn’t blame her for breaking up with him or whatever the fuck she did. He couldn’t get the words out. But he wanted to and he’s ready to say it. He just wants to make sure he does it right.

Neal held his phone as far from himself as possible. “Do you mind?”

Will grumbled, “go ahead.” Neal took a selfie with the older man.

Neal sat down next to Will and ignored the body language that made it clear Will did not want to talk. “So where is CNN sending you today? A war zone? An exotic location like some of the morning shows?”

Will usually didn’t hate fans fawning over him, but he really, really wasn’t in the mood. However, a 20 something who will probably take that picture of them and put it on some social media can turn the audience against him. “Actually I’m going to see family in Nebraska.”

“Your family or your wife’s. I mean, I don’t mean to get too personal.” Neal made a point to look at Will’s hand and said, “Oh, you’re not married. I’m sorry. I just assumed. I mean there’s been pictures of you and a woman all over Twitter.”

“No, it’s okay. Someday I hope she will be.”

Neal got excited. “Is that what you’re doing? Bringing her to meet your family and then you’ll propose?” Even if Neal didn’t know that Mac didn’t make this trip, Will’s face made it clear that Neal hit a sore spot. “Well, she must at least know that you’re thinking about it, right?”

Will moved his head back and forth a few times with his shoulders up and looked at the phone still in Neal’s hand. “Ah, hell, I’ve already said more than I should to someone who can Twitter at the world.”

“No, I won’t, I promise. I won’t tweet about any of this.”

“What the fuck’s a tweet?” When it looked like Neal was about to answer him, Will said, “Nevermind. She doesn’t know. I didn’t tell her what I wanted to say and what she needed to hear and now I have to wait until I get back and I can talk to her in person. She deserves to hear it in person.”

Neal thought Will looked like he was trying to convince himself. “Or, maybe you should tell her now, today.” Will looked surprised at the young man. “If she expected you to say, whatever you wanted to say and you didn’t, she’s probably feeling a lot like you are right now. But you can put both of you out of your misery by calling and saying it.”

Will squinted his eyes and looked like he was considering it. Before he could say anything, an announcement was made for Will’s flight. “That’s me.”

Will stood up and threw some money on the bar and told the bartender that was for Neal’s drinks as well. Before Neal could say anything to him, Will left to catch his plane.

*** *** *** ***

Neal and Maggie met back in DC and went to Alden’s street before turning on the flux capacitor. Before Neal took off he asked if she was ready to see what kind of changes they made to the timeline. She wondered if they would even know. Would they even be there or would they just disappear since they are already there.

Neal said since they did go back, they could return a minute after they left so there’s only one of them in any time line. “But how many of us will there be? What if we did something really bad and we keep going back to fix it?”

“None of the shows I watch ever have multiples of time travelers in the same space for long. Although _The Flash_ has infinite earths, but I don’t think it’s because of time travel.”

“Well as long as fiction doesn’t see a problem.”

Neal didn’t hide his frustration. “Let’s just decide we won’t go back. We just live with whatever consequences there are for anything we changed. If we changed anything at all.”

“If we remember. Alden said we may not.”

“Then we can write a note on the car.”

Neal went to the end of the street and got the speed up to 88. Once again they went through the portal and saw images of the past and future. When they came out the other side, they drove the car back to Alden’s house where Alden looked like he was waiting. Alden insisted on asking them some questions and was surprised that they remembered their trip. Neal shot Maggie a look when he pointed out he even remembered promising not to go back.

**June 17, 2010**

Neal and Maggie went back to ACN where they learned that their badges didn’t work. When they looked at them, they saw they work for CNN. As they started to walk out, they ran into Elliot. “Awwww, I didn’t expect to see you! Either of you!”

Maggie quickly covered, “Well we couldn’t stay away. How are you doing?”

“Great! Is Will still upset? I mean, please, be honest. I know he wished me well and all that, but you know how he is.”

Neal answered, “he is just as you would expect.”

Elliot barely stopped to listen to Neal. “It’s really worked out well for everyone. Don was going to leave Mac anyway, he couldn’t stay a senior producer forever. And I see that Mac has brought in that economist as Will’s backup.”

Neal and Maggie looked at each other and Maggie figured out who he meant first. “Sloane!”

“At first it hurt to see how quickly I got replaced, but she’s good.” Elliot looked between the two of them and said, “But you’re probably here to see Don, aren’t you?”

“Actually, I forgot about a meeting and, well, can you just not tell him that I was here?”

“Absolutely. It was good seeing you two.”

After Neal and Maggie said goodbye, they both took out their phones to see what else might surprise them. Neal announced that the News Night crew all made it to Will and Mac’s show _Just the Facts_. Maggie asked about Jim. “Jim got his job because he and Mac met in Afghanistan. Did that happen?”

Neal looked up Jim and saw that he started on April 11 the day of the BP oil spill, just like they remembered. Before he could search for anyone else, they arrived at the Time Warner building. They found their desks and each had enough work to catch up on that they couldn’t investigate other changes, though something seemed different. When Will and Mac walked up to Neal’s desk and signaled him to Will’s office, Neal realized how quiet the newsroom was. Will invited him to take a seat and looked at his phone with Mac staring over his shoulder.

“Will, look, he’s even wearing the same clothes.”

Will smiled at her, “how the fuck are you able to see that?”

“Well, my eyes are 13 years younger than yours, even with your Lasik surgery.”

Will looked at Neal, joy dancing in his eyes. “One time. I let myself get sucked into giving a damn about my appearance one time and she won’t let it go.”

“One time? Are you fucking kidding me? Our daughter said something about your hair and you thought you were going to need plugs.”

Neal felt like he was in an alternative universe, which may be the case. “Look, if I’m here about a story –“

“Well, you kind of are.” Mac started.

“The other day, Maggie outed you about that time machine story you wanted to do and that’s when Mac remembered a picture I showed her about 4 years ago of a man who told me that I should call her and put her out of her misery.”

“And put me in a different kind of misery, but I don’t blame you for that.”

Neal looked between the two people in front of him. “What?”

“I called her. I called her and I told her that I loved her and I apologized for what I said.”

“And then he still went to Nebraska without me.”

Neal smiled at the couple, noticing for the first time wedding bands on their hands. “You called her?”

Mac looked at her husband. “See, I told you it was him. And I would bet that crazy undergrad I met that day was Maggie, wasn’t it?”

“What, I mean, yeah. How?”

Mac finished for her, “did we figure it out? You sent that selfie to Will with a note telling him to call me, so he did and when he got back, he showed me the picture of the two of you. When you interviewed for us, I thought you looked familiar, but I didn’t put it together until you made that pitch for the time machine story.”

Will continued the story, “So we looked up the picture and sure enough, Neal Sampat was looking back at us.”

Mac looked at Neal and said, “So we’ve been wondering what did you go all the way back in time to fix? What idiot thing was he going to do?”

“You do some idiot things too, you know?”

“Watch it husband of mine. You don’t want my wrath at home.”

The couple looked at Neal waiting for an answer to their question. “I don’t know all the details, and I’m not sure that the rules of time travel would let me tell you anyway. Now, I’ve got about 4 years of work to catch up on.”

**Author's Note:**

> This story borrows heavily from the history I have in How They Got to Memphis, particularly chapter 31. I don't think you have to have read that story to follow this one. If you want the reader's digest version of what was happening, let me know and I can get you caught up. 
> 
> A special thank you to Mother Nature for keeping me homebound with time to write.


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